Apparatus for the electrodeposition of metals on wire or narrow strip



Sept 28,1926. A 1,601,642

' J. A. PARKER APPARATUS FOR THE ELEQTRODEPOSITION OF METALS ON WIRE OR NARROW STRIP Filed March 19] 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 JoLse zak (Z17 Bariv Sept 28 ,1926. 1,601,642

v J.A.PARKER s FOR THE ELEGTRODEPOSITION OF METALS on WIRE OR NARROW ST Filed March 19, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v APPARATU RIP Q (Jase v21 m1 Far Z297 r ze l,

Sept 28 1926. 1,601,642

J. A. PARKER 'APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRODEPOSITION 0F METALS ON WIRE 0R NARROW STRIP Filed March 19 1926 I5 Sheets-Sl'xeec 5 Patented Sept. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ARTHUR PARKER, or cwMBRAN, WALES.

APPARATUS FOR THE ELEcrRonErosrrIoN or METALS 01v WIRE 0 NARROW STRIP.

Application filed March 19, 1926, Serial No. 95 ,961,and in Great Britain May 23, 1925.

This invention relates to a-process and apparatus for the electro-depositionof metals on wire and narrow'strip, hereinafter termed wlre.

A coiled bundle of wire is well known in commerce and will be hereinafter referred to as a bundle, the wire being wound into a bundle as it leaves the draw plate.

According to the invention an unplated bundle of wire, while still coiled and with its convolutions spread apart is .passed through the solution contained in a plating tank from the one" end of said tank to the other and thebundle," while being so passed through the tank, is slowly revolved substantially' about its own axis, the convolutions being gathered in after lating and the plated bundle is collected eyond the other end of the tank. The process therefore starts .with an unplated bundle of Wire and finishes with, a plated bundle of wire, without any uncoiling of the wire.

Although the convolutions of the bundle are axially opened out while being passed through the plating tank, the wire treated is in continuously coiled condition; and, when one bundle has been passed through the tank, one end of a further bundle can be "connected up to the trailing end of the first bundle so as to make the two bundles a continuous coiled length, in order that the process of plating can continue in respect to bundle aften bundle; r

The opened out convolutions, as they travel through the plating solution,

, closely between anode surfaces provide in the tank, so that. there is little electrical resistance. v v s Further, while the convolutions are being so passed through the tank they may, in ad.--

dition to being revolved, be agitated, oscillated or rocked.

The apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed revoluble main shaft adapted to have a bundle of wire hungthereonand along which the opened out convolutions are caused to pass by the revolution; of the shaft. This shaft is arranged over the plating tank, and from it hang the bundles and the separated convolutions, as Well as the bundles outside the tank and the convolutions being treated within the tank- The revolution of the shaft may alone' be depended upon for causing the opened out CgggOllltlODS topass through the plating t O V\ i i ass I only may be used.

tion leaves the tank, it is sufliciently plated p for requirements.

An electro-deposition unit preferably comprises a tank containing hydrochloric acid or other cleaning liquid, a swill tank containing water, a sulphuric acid tank, a plat- 1 ing tank, a washing tank, and a drying tank, all arranged in succession below the revoluble main shaft, and the opened ,out

convolutions "of the bundle pass through,

these tanks in order.

The apparatus according to the inventionalso contemplates a certain arrangement of anodes in the platin tank, and utilizes the main shaft as a catode connection.

The invention will be hereinafter more particularly'described "with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an electroplating unit embodying the invention.

1*ig. 2 isa plan View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig; 3 is a transverse section on the line A' B, Fig. l. 7

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views, on a larger scale, showinghow the anodes are 'appliedto the interior of the plating tank. I

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing how the convolutions are agitated or'rocked in addition to bein revolved.

i A number of ta s a, a, 03, e, f and are provided in succession for treatmentof the wire. The tank a contains hydrochloric acid or othercleaningdiquid, the tank 0 swill water, the tank 0? sulphuricacid, the tank e electroplating solution, and the tan-kf washing liquid, while 9 is a drying tank.

It will be understood that a plating tank his a revoluble main shaft arranged above the tanks and having its ends extending .beyond the ends of the outer tanks and having atone end a spool 21 upon whicha bundle of wire to be treated may be-hung and at its other end with a spool j upon which the treated convolutions 0 wire. are collected.

This shaft may be revolved'from the pul l'ey 3 An unplated bundle of wire ishun'g upon the spool 21 between the end plates 2? and i and one of its ends is manually threaded through the machine with the convolutions spread apart, so that said convolutions successively pass into and out of the respective tanks while hanging from the shaft h, one or two of said convolutions being ultimately started to wind up into a bundle on the ,outgoing spool j, 'lhis movement or passage of the wire through the tanks is elearly indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

That part of the shaft 71', which extends above the plating tank is formed with spaced flanges h forming grooves 72. to guide the convolutions and keep them apart, since in this tank they must be kept separate and clear of thean'odes, which are arranged within the tank as hereinafter described. The

shaft 71. forms the cathode connection to the plating tank. I

It will therefore be clear that the convolutions pass through all such tanks in succes' sion and are plated during the passage, and that the process starts with an unplated coiled bundle of wire on the iii-going spool 7L and finishes with a plated coiled bundle on the outgoing spool j, there being no uncoiling of the wire in its passage through the apparatus.

The revolution of the shaft h is depended upon to revolve the wire convolutions about their own axes, and also to feed thewire convolutions through the tanks.

That part of the shaft which lies above theplating tank 6, and which is provided with the grooves M, which bear-against the flanges k which form the grooves, for the purpose of leading the current away from the plating tank, these brushes being suitably mounted upon a frame Z supported. above the tank on the fixed bearers Z and Z from which also hang the bearings h and h which support the shaft h. a

Since the revolution of thedshaft h is depended upon to revolve the convolutions and bundles, its diameter is desirably large in order to increase frictional contact with the wire, and, as shown, at h and h", said shaft is built up of tubular pieces, the interior one, h being of 'metal, the outer one, h"

. being formed of a sleeve of india-rubber,

and thatpart of the shaft which extends over the plating tank and formed with the grooves k being formed of electrical conducting material. a

The electro plating tank 6 may be provided ,with any convenient form of anodes,

buPpreferably, and as shown in the drawings, same are in the form of plates extending transversely across the tank from side -to side of the latter, so that each convolution of wire passes between two transverse stretches of anode plates.

m (Fig. 3) represents a transverse stretch of anode plates built upv of four separate plates, m m mfland m, having their 0p posite vertical edges seated in grooves 00. in the sides of the tank and in grooves 0 in a central support p fixed within the tank below the shaft h. The lower anode plates, m and m rest upon bearers g at the bottom of thetank, and these plates are separated from the upper plates m and m by nonconductive glass or other insulating sleeves 1'. which are of a diameter greater than the thickness of o the plates and are threaded upon rods 1; Lead or other conducting blocks 1' also fitting within the grooves n and 0, are connected to the opposite ends of the rods 1' whereby the upper and lower anode plates are electrically connected to each other. The upper edges of the upper pairof plates m m are also provided with glass or non-conductive sleeves '8. Similar indicated at w in Fig. 3, shall be guided between each stretch of anode plates m by the glass tubes or rods r, 8, and t so that no part of the wire shall touch the surface of any of the anode plates, it being understood that in the plating tank 6 there are plates close together and fed with current by the leads u from positive current carryhas electrical brushes 70 ing barsu and M3.

igs. 4 and 5 show clearly how the end of the anode--plates extend into the grooves numerous transverse stretches m, of anode in the sides of the tank, and also how the glass sleeves 1* extend between the upper and lower anode plates. Each of the upper glass tubes 8 is applied to a rod supported at one of its ends by a clip 8 carried by the upper edge of one of the anode plates and by engagement of its other end in the groove in the support 2. A

At the in-going end of the apparatus a device '1; serves to hammer out any kinks or bends in the wire convolutions as they leave thein-going spool 11 and before they reach the tanks. This device comprises a bell cranked lever 11 a stationary anvil '0 teeth 02* formed on the side plate i of the spool-z, and a lever 11 hanging from. the support Z As the shaft 72. revolves, the teeth 0* will rock one arm of the bell cranked lever '0 and cause the other arm of the said lever to give a swinging blow to the lever 42 against the anvil '0 between which anvil 'v and lever '0 the convolutions are guided,

but this device is not a material part of the invention.

In Fig. 6 the shaft 11. is shown as carrying Spindles are supported upon a frame '9 from a supporting bar 10, and as the shaft h revolves it causes the radial arms 7 and 8 to give intermittent blows to the convolutions of wire :0 on both sides of the shaft it, so that the convolutions, in addition to re volving, are agitated or rocked on the shaft as fulcra.

If the bundle to be treated is so deformed that its convolutions would pay off untruly a device of any suitable construction may be placed in front of the in-going tank to true up said convolutions.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus for electro-plating" a coiled bundle of wire comprising a tank to contain plating solution, means for passin the. opened out convolutions of a bundle 0 wire through the tank from one end to the other and revolving the bundle of wire substan tially about its own axis, plate' anodes extending transversely of the plating tank and spaced apart and between which each con volution of wire passes in its travel through said tank, means for preventing the convolutions of wire touching the anode plates, anode connections to said plates and cathode connections to the wire to be treated, substantially as described. K

2. Apparatus for electro-plating a coiled bundle of wire comprising a tank to contain plating solution, means for passing the opened out convolutions of the bundle through the tank from one end to the other and revolving the entire bundle substantially about its own axis, a series of spaced anode plates extending transversely of the plating tank and between which each convolutionpasses, each of'said plates comprising a plurality of members electrically connected and arranged edgewise with their ad jacent edges separated, means associated with each anode plate for preventing the convolutions of wire touching the anode plates and suitable electrical connections to said anode plates and to said wire, substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for electro-plating a coiled bundle of wire comprisi'n a tank to contain plating solution, a revolu 1e shaft arranged over the tank to extend through and sup ort' the convolutions of a bundle of wire an revolve said convolutions about the axis of the bundle, said shaft having means for feeding said convolutions through the tank, means for spreading the convolutions of the 'wire, a supportextending from one end to the other, and longitudinally of the tank below the shaft, a succession of spaced series of anode plates disposed transversely of the tank and between which eachconvolution passes, the

plates of each series being supported betanks to contain' di 642 tween the longitudinal sides of the tank and the central support so as to be removable from the tank for renewal, means .for preventing the convolutions of wire touching the anode plates and electrical connections to the anode plates andto the shaft, substantiallv as described.

4. Apparatus for electro-plating a coiled bundle of wire comprising a tank to contain plating solution, means for passing the opened out convolutions of the bundle through the solution of the tank from one end to the other and revolving the entire bundle substantially about its own axis, plate anodes spaced apart and extending transversely of the tank and between which each convolution passes, means for preventing the convolutions of wire touching the anode plates, means for agitating the convolutions within the tank, and electrical connections to the anode plates and to the bundle of wire, substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for electro-plating a coiled bundle of wire comprising a tank to contain plating solution, a revoluble shaft arranged over the tank to extend through and support the convolutions of a bundle of wire, means for opening out the convolutions 'ol thebundle, means associated with said shaft for feeding the convolutions through the tank from the one end to the other, means for agitating the convolutions within the'so lution from the shaft as a fulcrum, a support extending longitudinally of the tank below the shaft, a succession of spaced se ries of anode plates-extending transversely of the tank and between which each convo lution passes in its movement through the tank, the plates of each series being removably sup orted between the longitudinal sides of t e tank and said longitudinal support, means for preventing the convolutions of wire touchingthe-anodeplates and electrical connections to the anode plates and to the shaft, substantia1l as described.

6. Apparatus for electro-plating a coiled bundle of wire comfiprising a plurality of erent solutions, means for passing the opened out convolutions of a bundle of wire through said tanks from one end to the other of said tanks, means for revolving said bundle substantially about its own axis, plate anodes spaced apart and extending transversely of one of said tanks so that each convolution passes successively between adjacent plate anodes, means for preventing the convolutions of wire touching the anode plates and suitable electrical connections to said anode plates and to the bundle of wire, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 

